Ensemble effect imparting device using a bucket brigade device for an electric musical instrument

ABSTRACT

Several bucket brigade devices respectively constituting signal delay paths are supplied with one common sound signal obtained from one electric musical instrument such as an electronic organ or electric guitar or are separately supplied with different sound signals derived from one or more electrical musical instruments. Each of the bucket brigade devices receives the sound source signal, transmits the signal therethrough with a delay which is in accordance with the clock pulse applied thereto from a clock pulse oscillator and gives out a time-delayed signal. The delaying time is determined by the clock pulse frequency of 40 kHz to 120 kHz which is controlled by a plurality first low frequency signals having a frequency of about 0.5 to 3 Hz and a second low frequency signal having a frequency about 5 to 12 times that of the former signal and a voltage level equal to about 1/3 to 1/5 of that of the former signal. The first low frequency signals applied to the respective clock pulse oscillators are different in phase from one another. Sound signals from the bucket brigade devices are conducted through amplifiers to one or more loudspeakers, thereby reproducing musical sounds from the loudspeakers with a unique orchestra or chorus effect.

14 1 Feb. 18,1975

[ ENSEMBLE EFFECT IMPARTING DEVICE USING A BUCKET BRIGADE DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT [75] Inventor: Takeshi Adachi, Hamamatsu, Japan [73] Assignee: Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, Shizuoka-ken, Japan [221 Filed: July 18, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 380,360

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 20, 1972 Japan 47-72703 Sept. 5, 1972 Japan 47-89006 Sept. 5, 1972 Japan 47 89008 Sept. 5, 1972 Japan 47-89009 Sept. 8, 1972 Japan..... 47-90161 Sept. 8, 1972 Japan 47-90162 Sept. 8, 1972 Japan 47-104882 Oct. 27. 1972 Japan 47-12349) [52] U.S. Cl 84/114, 84/101, 84/103, 84/DIG. 4, 84/125 [51] Int. Cl. GlOh l/OZ [58] Field of Search 84/101. 1.24, 1.25, DIG. 4, 84/103 [56'] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,007,361 11/1961 Wayne 84/124 X 3,516,318 6/1970 Wayne 84/125 X 3,598,891 8/1971 Adachi 84/124 LOW FREQ. 7H2

SHIFTER LOW FREQ.

) SHlFl'ER SHIFTER k 3.749.837 6/1973 Doughty 84/101 Primary Examiner- Richard B. Wilkinson Assistant Examiner-U. Weldon Attorney. Agent, or Firm-Flynn & Frishauf [57] ABSTRACT Several bucket brigade devices respectively constituting signal delay paths are supplied with one common sound signal obtained from one electric musical instrument such as an electronic organ or electric guitar or are separately supplied with different sound signals derived from one or more electrical musical instruments. Each of the bucket brigade devices receives the sound source signal, transmits the signal therethrough with a delay which is in accordance with the clock pulse applied thereto from a clock pulse oscillator and gives out a time-delayed signal. The delaying time is determined by the clock pulse frequency of 40 kHz to 120 kHz which is controlled by a plurality first low frequency signals having a frequency of about 0.5 to 3 H2 and a second low frequency signal having a frequency about 5 to 12 times that of the former signal and a voltage level equal to about 1/3 to 1/5 of that of the former signal. The first low frequency signals applied to the respective clock pulse oscillators are different in phase from one another. Sound signals from the bucket brigade devices are conducted through amplifiers to one or more loudspeakers. thereby reproducing musical sounds from the loudspeakers with a unique orchestra or chorus effect.

18 Claims, 29 Drawing Figures PHASE PATENTEU FEB 1 8 5 SHEET DZUF 21 EXPRESSION CONTROL TONE FILTER$ TONE - KEYERS COLORING GENERATORS FIG.5A

PATENTEDFEBIBIBYB 3,866,565

SHEEF EMF 21 FIG. 8

DELAYING TIME (ms) PATENTED FEB I 8 I975 SHEET llUF 21 FIG.

BBD

PHASE SHIFTER LOW FREQ. (7H2) OSCILLATOR PHASE SHIFTER LOW FREQ. (of/Hz) OSCILLATOR ix-JENTEU 1 8195 3. 866 505 SHEET 12UF 21 FIG. 18

Q iZA H.P.F BB0 SOUND BBD SOURCE LRF BBC

LOW FREQ. R2 (07 H INVERTER -v PATENIEDFEBI 8M5 3,866,505

SHEET 15 0F 21 souwo SOURCE vco 17B LOW FREQ. (7H2) INVERTER OSCILLATOR I LOW FREQ. (oTI-I INVERTER OSCILLATOR R2 

1. A sound reproducing system for reproducing musical sounds from an electrical musical instrument, comprising: at least one source of sound signals obtained during performance on at least one electrical musical instrument; a plurality of bucket brigade devices coupled with said sound signal source to receive said sound signals, each of said bucket brigade devices acting as a signal delay path for the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound signal source; a plurality of voltage controlled type clock pulse oscillators, each generating a clock pulse signal having a super audible frequency, coupled with a corresponding one of said bucket brigade devices to cause said bucket brigade devices to impart respective time delays to the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound signal source, the imparted time delay being a function of the frequency of the clock pulse signal generated by the associated clock pulse oscillator; means coupled to said clock pulse oscillators to continuously vary the frequencies of the clock pulse signals generated thereby, said means for varying the frequencies of the clock pulse signals including at least two low frequency signal sources, one of said low frequency signal sources generating a first low frequency signal having a frequency of about 0.5 to 3 Hz, and the other low frequency signal source generating a second low frequency signal having a frequency of about 5 to 12 times that of said first low frequency signal and a voltage level equal to about 1/3 to 1/5 of that of said first low frequency signal; phase shift means for converting at least one of said first and second low frequency signals from said low frequency signal sources into a plurality of signals having different phases; and means coupling said low frequency signals, including said different phase signals, to said clock pulse oscillators to cause each of said bucket brigade devices to impart to the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound source a time delay which continuously varies with the frequency of the clock pulse signal from the corresponding one of said clock pulse oscillators; and means receiving said delayed sound signals obtained through said bucket brigade devices for generating an audio output responsive thereto.
 2. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said sound signal source is arranged to produce sound signals from a single electrical musical instrument and to supply the produced sound signals in common to said bucket brigade devices.
 3. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 2 wherein said single electrical musical instrument comprises an electronic organ having manual and pedal keyboards and which produces a plurality of different sound signals including a first signal derived by playing the manual keyboard of said electronic organ and a sound signal obtained by manipulating the pedal keyboard thereof, and Said first and second sound signals are separately supplied to said bucket brigade devices.
 4. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said sound signal source is arranged to produce sound signals from at least two different types of electrical musical instruments, the sound signals from said different instruments being coupled to different ones of said bucket brigade devices.
 5. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 further including sound mixing means for combining a part of sound signals from any of said bucket brigade devices with sound signals from the other bucket brigade devices, said audio output generating means including a plurality of separate loudspeakers and being responsive to the combined sound signals from the respective bucket brigade devices to generate different audible sounds from said plurality of separate loudspeakers.
 6. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for varying includes a third low frequency signal source generating a third low frequency signal having a frequency about twice that of said first low frequency signal and a voltage level substantially equal to that of said second low frequency signal, and said third low frequency signal is coupled to said clock pulse oscillators with said first and second low frequency signals such that said bucket brigade devices cause the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound source to be time-delayed with a more complicated mode.
 7. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said low frequency signal sources comprises a white noise signal source and a low pass filter coupled with said white noise signal source.
 8. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 further including at least one frequency filtering means through which sound signals from said sound signal source are supplied to said bucket brigade devices.
 9. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said low frequency signal sources comprises low frequency oscillators.
 10. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 comprising at least two groups of said bucket brigade devices, and the respective groups of said bucket brigade devices are controlled by signals having different low frequencies from said low frequency signal sources through corresponding clock pulse oscillators.
 11. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said clock pulse oscillators each comprise a relaxation oscillator generating a signal of a super audible frequency; an oscillation frequency control circuit coupled with the input of said relaxation oscillator to continuously vary the oscillation frequency of the super audible frequency signal from said relaxation oscillator in response to the output signals from said low frequency oscillators; and a bistable circuit coupled with the output of said relaxation oscillator to deliver a pair of output signals different by 180* in phase which are supplied to the corresponding one of said bucket brigade devices as clock pulse signals.
 12. A second reproducing system claimed in claim 8 including a plurality of frequency filtering means coupled to said sound signal source, the outputs of said filtering means being selectively coupled to said bucket brigade devices.
 13. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 12 wherein said plurality of frequency filtering means includes a high pass filter, a band pass filter and a low pass filter, all coupled to said sound signal source, and sound signals obtained through at least said high and band pass filters are coupled to corresponding bucket brigade devices.
 14. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for varying the frequencies of the clock pulse signals includes a plurality of low frequency signal sources which generate a plurality of said first low frequency signals, each of said first low frequency signals having different relative phases.
 15. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said secoNd low frequency signal has a frequency of about 5 to 10 times that of said first low frequency signal.
 16. A sound reproducing system claimed in claim 1 wherein said different phase signals are substantially equally phase-displaced relative to each other, and wherein said low frequency signals are selectively combined and respective combined signals are coupled to said clock pulse oscillators.
 17. A sound reproducing system for reporducing musical sounds from an electrical musical instrument, comprising: at least one source of sound signals obtained during performance on at least one electrical musical instrument, said at least one electrical musical intrument including an electronic organ which has a plurality of tone generators each producing a tone signal of a predetermined frequency; a plurality of bucket brigade devices coupled with said sound signal source to receive said sound signals, each of said bucket brigade devices acting as a signal delay path for the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound signal source; a plurality of voltage controlled type clock pulse oscillators, each generating a clock pulse signal having a super audible frequency, coupled with a corresponding one of said bucket brigade devices to cause said bucket brigade devices to impart respective time delays to the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound signal source, the imparted time delay being a function of the frequency of the clock pulse signal generated by the associated clock pulse oscillator; means coupled to said clock pulse oscillators to continuously vary the frequencies of the clock pulse signals generated thereby, said means for varying the frequencies of the clock pulse signals including a frequency divider coupled to at least one of said tone generators for dividing a frequency of an output signal from at least one tone generator down to a given frequency; and a frequency dividing counter chain for dividing the frequency of an output signal from said frequency divider and for generating at least two first low frequency signals which are out of phase with respect to each other, said first low frequency signals having a frequency of about 0.5 to 3 Hz, the output of said frequency divider comprising a second low frequency signal having said given frequency which is about 5 to 12 times that of said first low frequency signals and a voltage level equal to about 1/3 to 1/5 of that of said first low frequency signals; and means coupling said low frequency signals to said clock pulse oscillators to cause each of said bucket brigade devices to impart to the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound source a time delay which continuously varies with the frequency of the clock pulse signal from the corresponding one of said clock pulse oscillators; and means receiving said delayed sound signals obtained through said bucket brigade devices for generating an audio output responsive thereto.
 18. A sound reproducing system for reproducing musical sounds from an electrical musical intrument, comprising: at least one source of sound signals obtained during performance on at least one electrical musical instrument; a plurality of bucket brigade device coupled with said sound signal source to receive said sound signals, each of said bucket brigade devices acting as a signal delay path for the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound signal source; a plurality of voltage controlled type clock pulse oscillators, each comprising a clock pulse signal having a super audible frequency, coupled with a corresponding one of said bucket brigade devices to cause said buckt brigade devices to impart respective time delays to the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound signal source, the imparted time delay being a function of the frequency of the clock pulse signal generated by the associated clock pulse oscillators; means coupled to said clock pulse oscillators to continuOusly vary the frequencies of the clock pulse signals generated thereby, said means for varying the frequencies of the clock pulse signals including at least one inverter and a plurality of series coupled RC ladder-type circuits coupled between the output of said at lease one inverter and the input thereof as a positive feedback path, for generating a first low frequency signal having a frequency of about 0.5 to 3 Hz, and a second low frequency signal having a frequency of about 5 to 12 times that of said first low frequency signal and a voltage level equal to about 1/3 to 1/5 of that of said first low frequency signal, at least one of said first and second low frequency signals including a plurality of signals having different phases; and means coupling said low frequency signals, including said different phase signals, to said clock pulse oscillators to cause each of said bucket brigade devices to impart to the sound signals supplied thereto from said sound source a time delay which continuously varies with the frequency of the clock pulse signal from the corresponding one of said clock pulse oscillators; and means receiving said delayed sound signals obtained through said bucket brigade devices for generating an audio output responsive thereto. 